Improvement in sewing-machine tables



T. LANSTON. Sewing-Machine Table.

No. 204,157. Patented May 28,1878,

WITNESSES v I INVENTOR ",PETERS, PflOTo-UTHOGRAPMER. WASHINGTON, D. c.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1',

2 SheetsSheet 2..

T. LAN STON. Sewing-Machine Table 'No. 204,157. Patented May 28,1878-WITNESSES INVENTOR ATTORNEY.

N. m 'PHO'To-UTHOQRAPMER, WlSNING'TON. D. C I

V nal slot, 0,

bolstered in seat-arm B is connected with the adjacent UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE.

1 TOLBERT LAN STON OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.'

IMPROVEMENT IN SEWING-MACHINE TABLES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 204,157, dated May 28,1878; application filed January l7', 1878.

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be itknown that I, TOLBERT LANSTON, of Washington, in the county ofWashington and District of Columbia, have invented a new and valuableImprovement in Sewing-Machine Chairs and I do hereby declare thatthefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description of the constructionand operation of the same,

reference being had to the annexed drawings,

. making a part of this specification, and to the letters and figuresofreference marked thereon.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a representation of a top View of myinvention. Fig. 2 is a side viewthereof. Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6, 8,and9 aredetails, and Fig. 7 is a front View of the chair. This invention hasrelation to improvements in sewing-machines.

'the operator.

It alsoconsists in combining, with a chair and a sewing-machineadjustable to or from the operator, a gravitatingautomatically-adjustable driving-wheel, that holds the endless beltconveying motion to the sewing-machine properly tense, Whatever be theposition of adjustment of the said machine.

It also consists in a screen interposed between the operator and thedriving mechanism, that preventstbe garments of the said operator frombeing soiled, abraded, or caught.

It moreover consists incertain novel constructions and arrangements ofthe operative 7 parts of the device, as will be hereinafter more fullyexplained.

In the annexed drawings, the letter A designates a chair, constructed ofwood or metal, or of a combination thereof, and provided with a back, a,and at its right-hand side with a horizontal seat-arm, B, that extendsconsiderably beyond the front edge of the seat a, as shown in Fig. .1.This arm is provided upon its inneredge with an upright metallic T-flange, 12, extending from end to end thereof, and outside of the saidflange with a longitudithe object of which will hereinafter appear. Theseat and back may be up any suitable manner, and the edge of the seat bya guard-screen, O. This latter may be made of any suitable material,

as cane, canvas, Wood-veneer, sheet metal, or wire-cloth, and isdesigned'to prevent the dress of the operator from being injured by theendless belt D. v

-E represents a platform, upon which the Working parts of asewing-machine are secured in any suitable manner; This mechanism isdriven by the balance-wheelv F. Upon the under side of the platform, atthe end thereof adjacent to the balance-wheel aforesaid, is formed, by-means of the L-shaped flanges t, a guideway, G, which permits theplatform E to be applied to the seat-arm. The space between the flangesiis Trshaped, and snugly receives the T-flange b upon the seat:

arm, when the said flange b is inserted into the space between theflanges '5 of the guide and the platform pushed toward the chairbaok.This platform is adjustable to or from the operator seated in the chair,as may be desired, and is prevented from slipping by a set-screw, 8,extending" through a seat at the lower edge of the inner flange i, andbearing against the vertical portion of the lfiange'b. When the platformis in position the balancewheel is directly over the seat-arm slot 0,and v in line with a similar slot, 0, inthe right-hand side bar of theseat-frame, and -the endless belt D passes around the driving-pulley H,passes upward through the slots 0 c, and encircles the balance-wheel F.

I represents a pitmau connecting the driv-.

ing-pu'lley with an arm, 0, of the treadle-shaft J. This shaft isprovided With a treadle, f, and is journaled in the ends of theprojecting arms'g, that support the foot-rest K at the front portion ofthe chair. By operating this treadle, motion is communicated through theshaft J, the pitman I, the driving-pulley H, the endless belt D, and thebalance-wheel F to the sewing-m achine upon the platform. Thedriving-pulley H rotates upon a spindle, h, projecting from arectangular body,--h,"havii in its lateral edges the angular grooves j.The body h has free motion in a curved slot, k, formed below the seat inthe side frame lot the chair, the side walls of which are angular, asshown at 0, Fig.5, and are received-in the grooves j of the spindle-bodyh; Thedriw T-flange b of the seat-arm. 1 this board by thrusting theplatform to the front away from the operator, and when it is 1 appliedoverhangs the lap of the operator. By this means be done without theoccupant leaving the seat. This board maybe detached by raising its freeend until the catches are disengage open, and relieve strain.

in g-wheel is suspended from the balance-wheel by means of the endlessbelt D, and is sufficiently heavy to hold the said belt properly tense.When the platform is adjusted toward the operator the driving-pulleydescends in the slot k, thereby taking up the slack of the belt, andwhen it is thrust away from the operator ascends therein, in eachinstance preserving the tension of the said belt and rendering theapparatus effective.

In practice, I frame entirely of metal, but if I deem it expedient shallcombine wood and metal in its construction. For instance, the side ofthe chair supporting the driving and balance pulleys and thesewing-machine may be metallic and the remainder of the chair wooden.The upper portion of the belt will be included generally in a spacebetween the guard-screen O and an outside shield, M, in which event thesaid screen is bent around, as shown at n, to close the front portion ofthis opening, but when I so elect the shield M may be dispensed with,and the front end of the seat-arm will he supported by the upright 9 atthe front edge of the said screen. This construction is illustrated inFig. 6.

q represents a removable angular arm applied to the inner end of theplatform, with its horizontal branch on a level with the throat-plate,that is designed to support a skirt or other analogous article whilebeing sewed. This arm has aprismatic end that engages a correspondingsocket on the under side of the platform, and is thus held steady.

L represents a cutting-board of the usual form and materials, providedupon one end with spaced catches 0, adapted to engage the Room is madefor the cutting of garments may from the flange b aforesaid.

N represents a work-box, of suitable form and materials, having hingedto one edge a lid, u, and secured to the other the down wardlybenthooked catches 1). These catches engage the perforations y in theseat-arm B, and

attach the said box to the chair. At each end the lid u is provided witha transverse longitudinally-slotted metallic bridge, P, with which across-head, 2, on the end of an angular sup- .port, 2, is engaged. Thesesupports are pivoted to the ends of the box, in close proximity to theside of the said box, to which the lid is 1 hinged, and, while allowingthe lid to be closed without opposition, effectually sustain it when thehinges of all undue The top of the lid is very useful in supportingfinished work, scissors, and other like articles required about asewing-machine. The curved slot k, in which the spindle h of preferablymake the chain.

the driving-wheel H moves, is the arc of a circle having for its centerthe point of connection of the pitman T with the arm of thetreadle-shaft J when the said arm depends vertically serving the radiusof the said. pitman. In practice, the left arm of the chair extendsforward but a short distance, or may be dispensed with altogether, thusallowing free ingress and egress to and from the chair when the platformis in position. The mechanism on the platform, when not in use, isprotected by a peaked cover, It, the inclined sides of which converge orare truncated or cut off, as shown in Fig. 2, which forms a veryconvenient bookrest or reading-desk. The sides, at their lower edges,have the supporting-ledges p.

WVhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1.Achair having an arm or support adapted to receive and sustain thebase-plate of a sewing-machine, and having suitable attachments orbearings beneath to support the driving mechanism of the same,substantially as specified.

2. A chair having one of its arms constructed to support the base-plateof a sewing-machine, the latter being adjustable horizontally upon saidarm toward and from the operator sitting in said chair, substantially asspecified.

3. The combination, with a chair, a sewingmachine, supported thereby andadjustable to or from a sitter, and a balance-wheel, of a gravitatin gautomatically-adjustable drivingpulley and its endless belt,substantially as specified.

4. The combination of a chair and a sewingmachine adjustable to or fromits back, and provided with a driven pulley, of the gravitatingdriving-wheel and aniendless belt suspending it from the driven pulley,substantially as specified.

5. In a chair having an arm-support for a sewing-machine, a guard-screenbetween the 7 arm and chair-seat, to protect the apparel of the sitterfrom wear by the endless belt at the side of the chair, substantially asspecified.

6. Thecombination, with a chair having arm B, with T-flange b, of thesewing-machine support, having the T-guide G, adapted to receive saidflange, and a set-screw, 8, substantially as specified.

7. The combination of a chair having a driving-pulley and treadle-shaftjournaled thereon, a pitman connecting said pulley and shaft, asewing-machine supported by said chair, a driven pulley on said machine,and an endless belt passing around said pulleys, substantially asspecified.

8. The combination of a chair having the curved slot 70, the spindle it,moving in said slot, and the driving-wheel H, with the driven pulley Fof a sewing-machine and the suspending-belt D, substantially asspecified.

9. The sewing-machine work-box, having a from the said shaft, therelypre hinged lid, u, with slotted transverse guides P, in combination withthe angular arms 2, having cross-heads z engaging said guides, andpivoted to the end of the box, substantially as specified, and oneportion of said arm bearing, when the lid is open, against the innersurface of the back of the box, and with.

the other resting upon the horizontal edge thereof, whereby the strainis taken ofl' the hinges of the lid.

In testimony that I claim the above I have hereunto subscribed my namein the presence of two witnesses.

TOLBERT LANsTo N.

Witnesses: I V

W. E. DULrN, JOHN M. WELTY.

